Team Starburst hit the TR Thomson

[ratcliffe]

Another vote of thanks for a very enjoyable day on Saturday. Two good dives, the TR Thompson was my first dive to that depth in the UK sea, so I was keeping things simple. Everything went according to plan though, although my computer decided to throw in my first ever 15 metre stop, so see if it could catch me out I did wonder what it was doing, as I hadn't gone into deco, although I did hit 0 minutes just as we left the bottom, so it was very close to it.
A nice dive that, and with a little more practice it is one that I would like to do again and hit the seabed and the deeper art of the wreck. Note to self... must get some Nitrox sometime to try it!

The second dive on the ledges was OK, nothing really to see, just the one big lobster inside a rock, and the odd fish about, but those sorts of dives I just like to bimble and fly with the water, so I don't actually get bored of sandy bottoms on those sort of dives...

I'm still down on the south coast at the moment, as yesterday I went to Selsey and did a dive on the lifeboat station pier courtesy of the people who run Mulberry Divers. They were running dives which enabled me to turn up and get a buddy on site, and I spent a very pleasant 30 minutes or so bmbling about in 4-5 metres of water under the pier. Vis wasn't great, but it was a new site to dive, and I think I shall do that one a few more times over the coming seasons.
Big thanks to Steve and Linda (I think that was their names) from Mulberry Divers for allowing me to join their group, and the coffee back at the shop afterwards was most welcome. They appear to put some good trips together to, from looking at the posters in the shop.

A top weekend, and thanks to Marianne for organising Saturday

[hebails]

Originally Posted by weazelz

I had a good day too - probably my best sea dive of the year so far

MJH had laid on some cracking weather - blue skies, sunshine & a notably slight sea state - but this had evidently distracted her from such things as remembering gas

the skipper had obviously agreed with my choice of wreck & we headed off eastward to the TR Thomson

Paul & I were first in, with much heckling of our very moderate 73 litres of gas, & down the line with a little tide still running, to the welcome sight of a large rusty thing, 2-3m of viz & just enough darkness to make the torches work nicely. a very pleasant 40mins on a 28-33m bottom, past the boilers & up to the - I think - pointy end, & a nice conservative ascent for a 68min runtime, & last back on the boat

back on the boat for tea, golden syrup cake & a chat whilst we cruised back to the mythical 'Ledges' for a drft

mythical in that I've never seen the buggers. after 15mins of sand the wetnotes came out for a game of O's & X's, Paul must have been narc'd, as he left an obvious row for my truimphant victory. once back on the boat, he very unsportingly suggested that I had cheated

all in all a most enjoyable day, good weather, a cracking wreck & a good bunch on the boat. many thanks to Marieanne for organizing it

I'd have to agree with all the sentiments here so far. This was a great day out where we all had a decent dive. The TRT looks like a cracking dive and I'd look forward to going there again later in the season when the vis picks up (although 3m in places felt like luxury compared to the rest of this years diving)
Thanks Marianne for organising the day and Paul for a great job with the shot.
The only dark spot on the whole day was Andy's need to cheat at O's & X's while my back was turned on our 12m drift dive.
It's ok to want to win at all costs but to cheat so blatantly is beyond the pale

ATB
Paul

[ratcliffe]

Oh yes, and thanks to everyone for not throwing me off the boat when I turned out to be the only diver not on a minimum of a twinset and nitrox.

[PeeBee]

Team photo l to r
Hebails, Weazelz, MJH (enjoying being surounded by men) Ian@1904, Prometheus. Ratcliffe, Dottydiver
For those of you blown out this weekend please note the blue sky, sunshine and flat sea state

[hebails]

A finer bunch of dived up specimins you could never hope to find.
(Although Andy "I cheat at O's & X's" Weazelz looks a little shifty to me.....

[big_si]

Originally Posted by hebails

(Although Andy "I cheat at O's & X's" Harding looks a little shifty to me.....

I was just thinking that he looks a bit like a cross between

Ian Hislop


And Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by hebails

A finer bunch of dived up specimins you could never hope to find.
[/IMG]

There's always your forthcoming Scapa trip

Graet report Ian and glad you all had a good day!


Helen xxx

[weazelz]

Originally Posted by big_si

some old cobblers

you can really go off some people

[Ian@1904]

Originally Posted by ratcliffe

Oh yes, and thanks to everyone for not throwing me off the boat when I turned out to be the only diver not on a minimum of a twinset and nitrox.

That was me three years ago. Start saving up now

[big_si]

Originally Posted by weazelz

you can really go off some people

LOL